Do some leaders strive to prevent growth in companies?
May the reason for managers who strive to prevent growth in companies be a matter of insecurity or just blatant ignorance? Appointing people with less skill, qualifications or experience, may instill insecurity especially when you serve on a Board of Directors and cannot deliver what is expected.
A recent study showed that the following traits where common under leaders not performing to their full potential:
- Lack of energy and enthusiasm. They see new initiatives as a burden, rarely volunteer, and fear being overwhelmed. One such leader was described as having the ability to “suck all the energy out of any room”.
- Lack of interpersonal skills. They make sins of both commission (they’re abrasive and bullying) and omission (they’re aloof, unavailable, and reluctant to praise).
- Lack of clear vision and direction. They believe their only job is to execute. Like a hiker who sticks close to the trail, they’re fine until they come to a fork.
- Failure to develop others. They focus on themselves to the exclusion of developing subordinates, causing individuals and teams to disengage.
- Accepting their mediocre performance. They overstate the difficulty of reaching targets so that they look good when they achieve them. They live by the mantra “under promise and over deliver”.
- Resisting new ideas. They reject suggestions from subordinates and peers. Good ideas aren’t implemented, and the organisation gets stuck.
- Poor judgment. They make decisions that colleagues and subordinates consider to be not in the organization’s best interests.
- Don’t collaborate. They avoid peers, act independently, and view other leaders as competitors. As a result, they are set adrift by the very people whose insights and support they need.
- Don’t walk the talk. They set standards of behaviour or expectations of performance and then violate them. They’re perceived as lacking integrity.
- Don’t learn from mistakes. They may make no more mistakes than their peers, but they fail to use setbacks as opportunities for improvement, hiding their errors and brooding about them instead.
Could these be the reasons for some leaders striving to prevent growth?
Great post, I do think however think that one of the biggest problems contributing to this is the selection process.
One needs to think carefully about who you put into a leadership position.
A lot of people climb the so called corporate ladder successfully, until they get into Top management and a real leadership position - not everyone is cut-out for this challenge, and you either have it or you dont.
Good observations. I found that many leaders and managers dont know how to build relationships with their staff and their staff dont know how to build relationships with them. Regrettably, they dont teach us to do that at unversities and in induction programmes. Email on karl@businessnetworkingsouthafrica.co.za and I will email you some great tips and articles.
Regards
Cool, have not been able to find the information I was looking for before now, thanks to the blog owners for this master piece work…